Evaluating Sally Jenkins' Article Does Football Cost Too Much

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who lives in Maryland, sat next to me. He had paid $24,000 for a 30-year right to two seats in the upper tier and an additional $2,400 perseason for the seats themselves. And he was glad to do it.” This statement is the only break Jenkins takes from her appeal on pathos to appeal to the ethos. By presenting an example of person who spent an outrageous amount of money for the rights to seats and was satisfied with their purchase, Jenkins is appealing the ethos. She wants to show that she is credible in her thinking by validating her argument with the approval of another. This is the only instance where Jenkins appeals to ethos. She returns to present her argument with the appeals of pathos.

Although Jenkins article is well written, it does include one logical fallacy. In the second to last paragraph of her article, Jenkins tries to present the NFL with a wholesome appeal by quoting Mark Waller, the chief marketing officer of the NFL. Waller states, “Those working-class people who helped build the game have to be able to go to the games. We can’t ever loose sight of the fans who made us what we are. (Jenkins)” Jenkins uses this statement to appeal to the pathos of the reader. She pushes the reader to emotionally feel that the NFL is wholesome. However, Jenkins logical fallacy is that she disproved Waller’s statement earlier in her sixth paragraph, where she writes, “In keeping with the game’s humble origins, I search for public transportation to go from Dallas to the Cowboy’s game. There was none (Jenkins).” Jenkin’s previous statement, regarding the lack of public transportation available at the football games, shows that Waller’s statement is false. This logical fallacy blows Jenkins attempt to appeal to ethos, by giving the illusion of wholesomeness to the NFL, right out the window. However, this one logical fallacy does not seem to affect the overall effectiveness of the article. Jenkins ability to appeal to the pathos leaves the reader almost drooling to experience a football game, regardless of the overpriced tickets.